2014 Senate Projections

[Shocker-maniac]

So much for tolerance!

[shocka khan]

You know, I actually think you might read your bible, Shocker Maniac.

As opposed to the some of the others who would eat them because it actually makes them feel closer to God. Why, I bet one even eats his bible with a little salt and pepper and a glass of fizzy yellow beer.

[MoValley John]

Fizzy yellow beer? What is that? I know of of amber beer, carmel, tan and dark, but not yellow. I've never had a fizzy beer, either. Naturally carbonated, but never fizzy.

[CBB_Fan]

Were you just spouting off because your guy lost, or do you truly believe this? I will assume you meant "will be insolvent in two years" (not the same thing, but close enough for this discussion). So let me rephrase the question I have for you:

Do you truly believe that Kansas will become insolvent within two years, and that is "a self-evident fact"?

I didn't have a "guy." None of the Kansas nominees were fit to serve office, not the Democrats, not the Republicans. But Brownback has been downright disastrous for Kansas, and I voted against him more than I voted for a different candidate. As for insolvency or bankruptcy (they both just mean the state will not be able to pay its outstanding debts, though Kansas probably wouldn't file), we will drain the state bank account by 2015. If the state were going to be able to pay its debts, we wouldn't have had our credit rating lowered by Moody's and S&P.

Furthermore, the tax cuts have not brought any aid to Kansas's economy; in fact they have worsened it. The state is predicting it will generate 16% less of the revenue it uses to fund schools, healthcare, and other public services. That is equivalent to a major recession. In most state's education funding to going back to pre-recession levels, but we are continuing to cut back. Our funding for higher education is 23% lower than it was before the recession, and isn't coming back. Most other other programs are also down, especially welfare (TANF is down more than 40%). And that hasn't translated to any private sector gains. Our employment growth is lower than the national average, our earnings are down (and were already low), the net growth in registered businesses is lower than it was before the tax cuts and half what we saw before the recession, and ALL of our neighbors outpaced us. I do have citations for all of those.

But I don't come to Shockernet to talk politics. And for clarity's sake, I voted for Umbehr.

[shocka khan]

KungWu=Miley Cyrus....

[MoValley John]

KungWu=Miley Cyrus....

So?

[wufan]

I didn't have a "guy." None of the Kansas nominees were fit to serve office, not the Democrats, not the Republicans. But Brownback has been downright disastrous for Kansas, and I voted against him more than I voted for a different candidate. As for insolvency or bankruptcy (they both just mean the state will not be able to pay its outstanding debts, though Kansas probably wouldn't file), we will drain the state bank account by 2015. If the state were going to be able to pay its debts, we wouldn't have had our credit rating lowered by Moody's and S&P.

Furthermore, the tax cuts have not brought any aid to Kansas's economy; in fact they have worsened it. The state is predicting it will generate 16% less of the revenue it uses to fund schools, healthcare, and other public services. That is equivalent to a major recession. In most state's education funding to going back to pre-recession levels, but we are continuing to cut back. Our funding for higher education is 23% lower than it was before the recession, and isn't coming back. Most other other programs are also down, especially welfare (TANF is down more than 40%). And that hasn't translated to any private sector gains. Our employment growth is lower than the national average, our earnings are down (and were already low), the net growth in registered businesses is lower than it was before the tax cuts and half what we saw before the recession, and ALL of our neighbors outpaced us. I do have citations for all of those.

But I don't come to Shockernet to talk politics. And for clarity's sake, I voted for Umbehr.

Just on the school funding:

Schools are funded by local, state, and federal dollars. Recently federal dollars went away and the state and local governments had to pick it up. Additionally, people separate out per pupil funding and general funding (capital expenses). I'd like to see the citation on the educational decrease as I'm betting it was federal and not state dollars.

[wufan]

Heres a good reference which states that funding has increased at a rate about equal to inflation leaving it essentially flat, with a majority of the increase going to non per student funding. However, the standard for education funding has been increased by the state Supreme Court, thereby making previous funding below standard.

The issue is that the Supreme Court mandated higher standards, which when voted on ny the teachers union, went to Capital expenses, salaries, and retirement and not to the students, thereby putting the state behind the mandated per pupil funding level. I don't blame Brownback for this.

http://tallmankasb.blogspot.com/2014/08/facts-about-kansas-school-funding-up.html?m=1

[CBB_Fan]

Just on the school funding:

Schools are funded by local, state, and federal dollars. Recently federal dollars went away and the state and local governments had to pick it up. Additionally, people separate out per pupil funding and general funding (capital expenses). I'd like to see the citation on the educational decrease as I'm betting it was federal and not state dollars.

If that were the case, you'd see similar cuts in each state. Not so. If you want you check on this yourself, but in total Kansas has cut K-12 funding by 14% and higher education by 23%, and those numbers come from the state and local funding sources. While most states are recovering from the recession, Brownback and Kansas Republicans have passed measures to further cut K-12 funding by 2% with an additional 1.8% planned. All in all, our per student spending has dropped $865 dollars from pre-recession levels. Additionally we've added 20,000 students, but have 660 less teachers.

[wufan]

If that were the case, you'd see similar cuts in each state. Not so. If you want you check on this yourself, but in total Kansas has cut K-12 funding by 14% and higher education by 23%, and those numbers come from the state and local funding sources. While most states are recovering from the recession, Brownback and Kansas Republicans have passed measures to further cut K-12 funding by 2% with an additional 1.8% planned. All in all, our per student spending has dropped $865 dollars from pre-recession levels. Additionally we've added 20,000 students, but have 660 less teachers.

I did check. I posted a link and a synopsis. Why didn't you just post the link you used?

Found your link. One is a graph. The other won't open on my phone.

[MoValley John]

CBB_Fan, could you post some better and more neutral links? This isn't my fight, I couldn't care less what Kansas does with school funding, but when one resource is a very liberal Washington think tank and the other is, well, the NEA, the resource is more dismissive than a pie chart from Fox or CNBC. The school board report Wufan presented seemed a whole lot more balanced.

[shocka khan]

MVJ, you post links to Newsmax. You're not any better.

I think he has a right to his opinion. I think they're people who work for the Koch's who are posting here. I don't know if this person's a teacher, they might be an admin employee repeating stuff that's from the NEA. Of course, it's biased, but then so are the people drawing our attention to their biased positions, too.

Myself, I think if this guy's a school district employee, he ought to disclose. I also think that people who work for Koch ought to self-disclose as well.

But then, from what I've seen, you have a low tolerance for anyone you disagree with so that might be what the issue is.

[MoValley John]

MVJ, you post links to Newsmax. You're not any better.

I think he has a right to his opinion. I think they're people who work for the Koch's who are posting here. I don't know if this person's a teacher, they might be an admin employee repeating stuff that's from the NEA. Of course, it's biased, but then so are the people drawing our attention to their biased positions, too.

Myself, I think if this guy's a school district employee, he ought to disclose. I also think that people who work for Koch ought to self-disclose as well.

But then, from what I've seen, you have a low tolerance for anyone you disagree with so that might be what the issue is.

I was just asking. And I was even polite. But thanks for exploding, I love it!

[wufan]

MVJ, you post links to Newsmax. You're not any better.

I think he has a right to his opinion. I think they're people who work for the Koch's who are posting here. I don't know if this person's a teacher, they might be an admin employee repeating stuff that's from the NEA. Of course, it's biased, but then so are the people drawing our attention to their biased positions, too.

Myself, I think if this guy's a school district employee, he ought to disclose. I also think that people who work for Koch ought to self-disclose as well.

But then, from what I've seen, you have a low tolerance for anyone you disagree with so that might be what the issue is.

Are you talking about me being in education?

[MoValley John]

And just as I prognosticators earlier, Shocka pulls out the Koch Brothers card! This is funny as hell!!!